Mild anal fissures or those with shallow cracks can generally heal within about a week through local heat application or by applying hemorrhoid cream. However, there is another type of anal fissure known as chronic anal fissure. Chronic anal fissures primarily involve ulcer-like infectious changes at the local site, hence, they cannot heal on their own and can only be alleviated by lubricating the stools and applying hemorrhoid cream locally. In some cases, conservative treatment might not be significantly effective for chronic anal fissures. If surgery is performed, the recovery time is approximately 20 days. It is recommended that patients with chronic anal fissures undergo surgical treatment with endoscopic loosening.